


Fight the Faerys!

by Kaoz



Series: Auren [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 10:01:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/584142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaoz/pseuds/Kaoz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to UNBREAKABLE VOW. Suprises for Dean in the UFO episode.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fight the Faerys!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm watching GasMonkey as I type up this last chapter and ‘gollie’ I sure do like them guys. And I LUV the hot-rods too. Hmmm, thinking I’ll be making a road trip down there next year see if I can't get them to find and build my own hot-rod… Yup. Sounds like an awesome plan.

**A**

The conversation with ‘SoullessSam’ was still bugging Dean when they spoke to Mr. Brennan at his clock store.

_“You gotta ask? Right, yes, you do have to ask.”_

And there was the stupid question for the day but really, Dean was still trying to get used to this … well, the new Sam is a dick.

_“Okay, if you want to add glitter to that glue you’re sniffing, that’s fine, but don’t dump your whackadoo all over us. We’d rather not step in it.”_

And Dean wanted to laugh because really, that lady is nuts but Sam… _his_ Sam wouldn’t have done that. He wouldn’t have snapped at that lady.

_“Empathy, man. Empathy. I mean, the old Sam would have given her some, some wussified, dew-eyed crap.”_

Old Sam with a soul…that’s Dean’s brother. But this thing… this walking... talking… puppet just wasn’t it and Dean would rather have the old bitch face Sammy riding shotgun.

_‘I'm getting his soul back.’_

And thinking about the crazy lady claiming faeries are behind the missing only brings up an image of Auŕeņ in that gauzy blue thing…

She's gone.

Auŕeņ is dead and there was nothing the witches or wizards she had worked with could do to save her, to bring her back to him… Dean would be drinking right now if it wasn’t for the job he's supposed to be working. He’ll definitely drink himself stupid after the job is done but nothing stops him from picking up a bottle on the way to the motel. What _does_ Dean have anyway? Because his brother isn't really his brother-not without his soul. The little fae-witch that followed them everywhere for a year… well, she got under his skin. With the krap Sam was doing and Dean barely out of the ground… the nightmares, the dreams and the echo of their screams… it's a wonder Dean didn’t go psycho and loo ese it.

She got to him.

Auŕeņ…

She made them both laugh; she was there for both of them- Sam and Dean…

So _what_ does Dean have?

**A**

There's nothing but corn in the cornfield when his cell phone rings.

Dean sighs. “What?”

On the other end Sam complains the old guy isn't doing anything other than drinking which to Dean sounds about right.

_“You know, maybe I should go talk to him again. I mean, you’re the one who said he’s hiding something.”_

And that’s all kinds of bad idea Dean is already shaking his head when something else catches his attention but Sam keeps talking…

“Shh! Shh!”

_“What? You see something? Dean, what’s up?”_

“Hang on a second. Holy…” the friggin light is blinding and it's fast. “UFO! UFO!!”

_“Whoa! Dude, stop yelling. You’re breaking up. I didn’t catch that last part.”_

“Close encounter! Close encounter!” and as he's yelling into the phone Dean can't help but wonder if some part of Sam cares that aliens are chasing him.

_“Close encounter! What kind? First? Second?”_

Dean might not appreciate the interest Sam’s showing because there's a definite lack of concern in the tone.

“They’re after me!” Dean is pissed at Sam and he's freaking out- hello, aliens!

_“Third kind already? You better run, man. I think the fourth kind is a butt thing.”_

“Empathy, Sam! Empathy!” Dean yells but that’s all the talking he gets to do before the light catches up and takes him.

 

**A**

“Come on!” Dean looks around and there's definitely no cornfield.

It's a lush forest; huge trees- the trunks big enough you could put a house inside if it was hollowed out. Pale moonlight casts a bluish glow on everything. It's cool, just the right amount Dean isn't actually cold. There are hints of a gentle breeze and the smells… everything is so _fresh_. Dean starts walking with no particular destination in mind because really, UFO’s just dropped him in a forest bathed in pale blues. Yeah, there's a ranger station and Sam’s got the rescue search party on the move, ha!

He doesn’t even know how long he's been walking when he hears what he thinks could be music and wonders if it's the aliens. Still, he keeps walking, now towards the sounds that definitely are music. The sounds are so clear, it vibrates through everything, Dean can _feel_ it, like a caress all over his body and that’s weird enough but it doesn’t feel gross. Just the opposite and Dean hurries his pace to get where he can make out shapes moving under the forest canopy.

There's laughter and singing and merry shouts and the flicker of the fire from the torches lit around the clearing…

“Friggin faeries.”

The old bat was right. There never were any aliens and Dean realizes he's been abducted by faeries.

There are all kinds, too. Blue skinned, green - even pale white ones … males, females, and … _fawns?_

Dean blinks but it's all still there so he rubs his palms into his eye sockets while the music and laughter and the singing all fill his ears but when he looks it's all still there.

Faeries.

Dean swipes at his head. He squints at the tiny bugs buzzing around his face and scowls only to squint, wondering if he's _really_ staring at a tiny naked woman. He reaches out with his index finger but never actually touches her.

Laughter accompanies the many hands that grab onto Dean and he's forcibly led into the midst of the party. They're all talking and he doesn’t understand any of it.

But it does remind him of Auŕeņ.

Dean jumps, startled by the groping hands all over his ass when he sees the shine of his gun and makes a grab for it but they toss it. The green faery dude isn't happy and a bony fist connects with Dean’s jaw, like it's his fault there's a metal burn on the other hand.

“What the fuck!” Dean shoves the faeries off and smacks into the table laden with food. He remembers some of the stories, how eating or drinking anything from the fae makes you theirs and no way is Dean going to be stuck with faeries. He grabs the table and tosses it. Food and drink piling on the ground while Dean yells at them, demanding they send him home while a grumpy looking gnome and some faeries wipe themselves off. Dean never even notices the RedCap soaked in wine giving him the stink eye.

Everyone quiets down. All the faeries and Dean looks behind, surprised he didn’t notice the thrones or the tall waif like fae sitting there.

“You in charge?” he demands turning to face them. They are both pale it looks as though they're glowing. The female speaks but it's nothing Dean understands though the many hands that grab at him shoving and pushing get his undivided attention. Of course, Dean fights back no matter he's outnumbered. There are plenty of curious faeries looking on; one in particular is slow in getting out of their way. Dean feels the soft body at his back and turns to grab at it when he's pushed hard. He gets a glimpse of blue and gray and a mass of inky long hair. They end up on the ground, the little faerie gasping a breath beneath him.

“Auŕeņ?”

He is obviously shocked because Auŕeņ died. He held her in his arms, kissed her cherry lips and begged her not to leave him… Auŕeņ is dead. Dean knows it.

“Auŕeņ…”

Dean is grabbed and hauled to his feet. He's being dragged off like an errant pet until he starts to struggle in their grip. He finds his voice and yells out her name.

Auŕeņ stares after him as she's helped to her feet. He knows her name… he knows _her_ … but Auŕeņ doesn’t remember ever meeting the mortal.

Dean is tossed into an elaborate cage of vines and wood all part of a tree. It feels like a pen and Dean doesn’t like it one bit. There's no door to kick open or lock to pick and it _shifts_ anytime Dean tries to squeeze out of a hole wide enough for him. He wants out. He wants to see Auŕeņ. He wants to make sure it's her because if she's alive in the faery realm that explains why Harry and the others couldn’t bring her back to his.

Auŕeņ is curious. She sits in the tree watching him across the clearing where the revelry continues. She can't remember anything, there's no memory out of the _Leos_ , nothing about Dean … that part, the witch, is dead. It's gone…

**A**

“Hey!” he catches a glimpse of her ducking behind the tree. “Auŕeņ, get me out.”

She leans past the large trunk, her eyes swirling blue and gray. She takes a step out of her hiding place and tentatively starts towards him. She’s upset, the mortal used her name and he’s commanding her. Auŕeņ doesn’t like it one bit.

“Auŕeņ…” Dean sighs, hands gripping the vines because he’ll hold onto her otherwise. Is she real? That’s the only answer he wants to know. “Say something.”

Her head tilts slightly, blue ringed eyes swirling with gray. She’s different here, with the faeries. Her skin is a lightly shimmering pale colored gold. She’s in the filmy blue dress from Halloween, delicate patches held together by some magic or miracle, he doesn’t really care which. Her long black hair is threaded with those white pearlescent star flowers. The hand touching the vine of his cage is small and delicate and her nails shine golden. There’s something else as well, a dark line, some pattern that goes up behind her arm…it wasn’t there before.

“You know my name.”

And her voice… there’s that familiar tone and the musical lilting quality is even more pronounced now, clearer- pure…

“Yeah,” Dean whispers, green eyes never once leaving her face. “I know you.” They say nothing else for a moment and the sounds of the merry revelers seems muted. She's mesmerizing, seeming to glow and absolutely beautiful to his mortal eyes-

“Out.” Auŕeņ holds the vines wide enough he can squeeze through. She shouldn’t do it, but he’s used her name and ordered her. She has to obey. But she’s curious as well.

Dean looks past her, to the merry makers busily enjoying their party.

Auŕeņ utters a soft protest as Dean scoops her into his arms, his lips gentle on her own dusky pout.  She can feel it, what he feels; relief, happiness…something else she’s hesitant to examine. And her own emotions run wild but before she can make sense of anything he sets her down, takes her hand and hurries into the forest.

Away from the others.

Dean runs, careful not to go too fast Auŕeņ won’t keep up but he never lets go of her hand. He can’t. There’s that doubt, that maybe it’s all in his head, that none of this is real.

He stops. They’re far enough away he can’t hear the music anymore. She’s so quiet- not at all like the little fae-witch he remembers…

Auŕeņ doesn’t move away. She lets him hold her, curious and wonders why she feels so strongly towards him. Curiosity has gotten her in this mess and the others won’t be happy. Still, she explores him on her own. The same path as his hands take, and his lips… tasting, _feeling_ , each touch and kiss…

He’s gotten rid of the gauzy dress, one tug is all it takes and it floats away as if he’d pulled the thread holding the pieces together. Shimmering puffs of blue so all that’s left is his little faery glowing like some dream until he touches her skin and she’s warm- alive.

**A**

_Dean stood up, closing the short distance between them. Auŕeņ felt herself enveloped in warmth, a gentle pressure on her lips and the scent of leather, smoke and something else, something completely…utterly…_

“Dean.”

Auŕeņ sits up. She has no idea where it came from, that … memory? … She turns back to Dean slowly sitting up beside her. He's concerned, she can feel it!

“Bómánta aonair.” The words echo in her head, exactly as she’d said them to him before only this time she hasn’t slapped him for daring to kiss her. They’ve done more than that, more than she should with a human and _he_ will be angry with her…

Dean hopes this is a good thing. “You remember me? You know who I am…” but she's staring at him, a slight frown marring her features. “I'm Dean. You know me, Auŕeņ…” he sighs, his hand dropping to the grass between them without touching her face. “This can't be real.”

She can hear him muttering, thinking it's all in his head, a hallucination from the UFO’s and she questions what that is. It draws his attention and though she can't remember anything about ‘before’ the mortal has certainly made her feel … _complete_. Auŕeņ now knows why she has felt … quiet … unnaturally subdued among her own kind.

Dean reaches for her again, his hand tracing the pattern on her shoulder and down the back of her arm. She likes that.

“You didn’t have wings before…” Dean traces a light finger down her back, around to her side and the tip of the pattern that wraps lightly around her waist. “You had that damn stick- your wand… you'd apparate out of nowhere, startle us…” his eyes stray from the path back along her ribs and up her torso but his fingers stay on track. The blue in her eyes blends into the gray so there's flecks of silver and her dusky lips part as his hand cups her breast. He pushes lightly and Auŕeņ lies back in the grass and there's clumps of the white star flowers all around them.

“…mo leon…mo anam…”

“You remember.” Dean smiles.

She feels his happiness. Simple, four words and yet the meaning … she wonders if he knows what they mean, what she's said. If he feels this as well…

**A**

Sam is in the cornfield. He's looking for Dean and finds his cell phone instead. He feels nothing, not concern, not relief because if his brother doesn’t return then who does he have to pretend for? He can go back to hunting on his own without anyone slowing him down.

But…

It's a real hunt so he's going back to the RV camp of crazy UFO freaks. Maybe there he’ll find a clue, a way to stop this whatever before more people go missing or get taken.

That’s the job.

It's what Sam does.

**A**

It's the harsh, cold hands that wake him from the comfortable doze. Dean snaps awake instantly, searching for Auŕeņ but she's already standing, forced into another group of faeries- nymphs, he thinks. Every one is yelling, not a word he can understand and he's being manhandled.

“Auŕeņ!” he's not about to let her go a second time. “Auŕeņ! Get your hands off her! Auŕeņ!”

She's not sure _why_ … it's just the feelings he projects; anger, worry, frustration, concern- and not for himself but for her. That’s confusing- and she’ll be in worse trouble.

Dean trips, kicks out and catches a pale white faery. A few of them tumble with him and the cold touch of steel meets his hand. He thought it was lost. They back at the first shot, the taller fae; pale white, sort of the same shade as the flowers in Auŕeņ’s hair, dressed in fancy fae attire doesn’t back down.

And behind them is Auŕeņ, held by those nymphs, all of them hugging up on each other.

“Auŕeņ!”

**A**

It's dark and not like it was a second ago, before he _blinked_!

“Auŕeņ…” Dean knows he won’t find her. She's gone. Again. And maybe- yeah, it's all been in his head. The rest of his clothes are scattered around his feet. He finds his boots, one has a bunch of leaves inside and as he pulls them out they flutter in the light breeze. He shoves his feet in and stomps down on the little white star flower mostly hidden in the brush. He yanks on his shirt and jacket, green eyes scanning the field as he starts walking towards the road.

 _‘It wasn’t real._ ’

It's the mantra playing in his head the entire walk back to town because his Baby is nowhere to be found and damn it, Sam had better be careful with her.  

Aliens picked him up and he kicked ass and Auŕeņ……. Well, she was never there. It was all in his head. And yet he keeps wiping his hands on his jeans ignoring the fact she _felt_ very real. And did he imagine her like that? Full fae….

Opening the hotel room door certainly takes his mind off what he's been telling himself _didn’t_ happen.

“Dean!”

“What the hell?” because Sam doesn’t look one itsy bit concerned.

“Oh that’s Dean! Sam, they brought your brother back.”

And who the fuck is this chic?! And while she grabs her clothes Dean stands in the doorway fuming- alright, annoyed, pissed off, impatient because he needs to give his little brother a piece of his mind. This conscience is about to get real on his ass-

“I so totally understand that you need time as a family. But it’s just—what were they like?”

And she's got this totally awed expression- that dumb smile…

“They were grabby, incandescent douche bags. Good night.”

“Too soon… ? Okay.”

He doesn’t bother answering her and slams the door shut hoping it smacked her ass on the way out.

“You’re upset.”

 _‘NO shit.’_ That’s the look he gives Sam.

“I was abducted. And you were banging Patchouli.”

“I didn’t think she smelled that bad.” Well, maybe a little but it wasn’t enough to warrant getting rid of the girl. Besides, what else was Sam going to do the rest of the night? It's not like he actually sleeps.

“I was abducted by aliens!” Dean exclaims.

“I was looking into it.”

Yeah, Dean saw the dedication Sam put into ‘looking into it’.

“Looking into it! I was gone for, like, an hour.” An hour but it certainly hadn’t felt like it-. _‘It never happened.’_

“An hour— .”

“And most of that was walking back to town!” Dean continues, he's not thinking about what _didn’t_ happen with the faeries.

“Dean, I think your watch is off. You’ve been gone all night.”

He denies it but it's 4 in the morning and Sam's talking ‘time slip’ which means little brother actually did do some research.

“Nothing’s falling in line.” Dean shakes his head because nothing is making sense anymore and he's gonna start wondering if maybe he's still hallucinating. Did _he_ ingest some of that brown acid?

Sam gets him something to drink. It's cold and goes down smooth. “Thank you.”

“Yeah. Now. Come on. Talk to me. What happened?”

Dean hesitates. What the hell does he say that’s gonna sound… _not_ crazy.

“Well, uh, there was this… God help me, Sam, there was this bright white light!” yes! Ok, that’s a good start. Stick to the truth, it's what he knows, what he does that makes his so good at getting information.

“It’s okay.” Sam assures but Dean glances down at where Sam's patting his leg and then back at his little brother with an incredulous expression. “Safe room.” Sam says.

Dean nods, hell let that one pass. “And then suddenly, I was, uh, I was in a different place.” Yeah, a lush forest bathed in pale blue moonlight. “And there were these beings, and they were too bright to look at, but I could feel them pulling me towards this sort of table—.”

“Probing table!” Sam exclaims.

“God! Don’t say that out loud!” Dean cringes and thankfully Sammy’s buying the story.

“Right. So what did you do?”

What?

“I went crazy.” Right after Auŕeņ got pulled away from him. “I started hacking and slashing and firing. They actually seemed surprised. I don’t think anybody’s ever done that before. Yeah. I had a close encounter, Sam, and I won.”

They sent him ‘home’. So yeah, that’s a win.

“You should take a shower.” Sam suggests.

“I should take a shower. I’m gonna, I’m gonna take a shower now.” It's a quick escape for Dean. He finishes his drink while the water is running. He's thinking about the ‘encounter’ and some things he just can't forget. There's Auŕeņ, those gossamer wings, see through and shimmery like her skin. The pattern on her back and shoulders and arms…his fingers twitch as though he's tracing those same lines-

“She died. I saw her die. Auŕeņ’s dead and has been for 2years…” so he dreamt it, the whole damn thing. But even when Dean gets out of the shower and starts to dress he grabs his wallet, that little bit of paper taunts him and what the hell. Dean pulls out the picture, the one from Halloween, of Auŕeņ in fae dress…

**A**

She is sad. It's not like before, it's not just a feeling that something is missing because this time Auŕeņ _knows_ but she doesn’t understand _why_. _Why_ does she feel so strongly for a mortal? And what was all that nonsense? What was he talking about, with those stories- there's no such thing as a fae-witch… is there?

The curiosity always gets her in trouble but Auŕeņ doesn’t care. She's going to find him, find Dean and get some answers.

But the mortal ticked off the RedCap and Auŕeņ can't let the other fae see her.

She finds them talking and the other one, the tall shaggy headed human is different- _wrong_. Auŕeņ feels that right away but he can't see her and Dean has his back to her while the RedCap glares at him from the window.

“Research. We’ve got about a century of UFO lore to catch up on, and there’s no time for—What’s up with that guy?” Dean frowns.

“Who?”

“The guy by the window giving me the stink eye.” Dean huffs and Sam points out the cop but when Dean looks back at the window, Grumpy is gone.

“Who’s gone?”

“Can we please just get out of here before I hit you?” annoyed. Dean is annoyed because of the lost soul and the lying but he's got this sinking feeling RedCap grumpy knows him from somewhere…

**A**

Dean is in the motel room arguing with Sam over the phone. It seems there's a lot of UFO nuts out there writing about UFO’s which make for a lot of reading but at least closing the book is easier than getting one of those nuts to shut up.

It's when he hangs up the phone that the lights in the room start to flicker. David Bowie crackles through the radio and Dean is on his feet looking for it.

“Oh no. Not again.”

The door slams open and a bright ball of light shoots through the room. He's really trying not to think of where he's seen it before because the UFO story is starting to kick in.

But the shiny ball of something hovers close enough he squints at it…

“Nipples?”

The next thing he feels is pain.

“Bitch!!”

It punched him! But he gets revenge by trapping it in the microwave.

“Ha!”

It cooks, glowing brighter until there's a big Splat! and gooey yuck all inside the microwave.

“HA-HAA!!!”

That ‘ding’ is rather satisfying.

The problem is when Sam gets back and they're both staring at the microwave but Sam can't see it. The blechh the little woman left behind once she went splat.

“Ok, lets go with you see it and I don’t. What the hell was it?”

Dean flushes, embarrassed because he's gonna sound like an idiot and then what's he gonna tell Sam about …… faeries.

Reluctantly, Dean tells him it was tiny naked lady – a hot, glowing naked lady with nipples and the fact she _hit_ him seems to amuse Sam.

“I'm not supposed to laugh, right? Right.” He nods but there's that fucking smirk hiding. “Ok. Sure. Um. So, shot in the dark here, but did this little lady have wings?

Dean tenses up. “What the hell made you say that?” he refuses to think of Auŕeņ of Faerys because that’s not possible… 

“She did, didn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Dean nods still eyeing Sam like he's grown a third eye. “But how did, how’d yo-.”

“One of the fringier theories I came across. It’s actually what crazy crystal lady was yammering about. What if these abductions have nothing to do with UFO’s?”

“What?” If Sam figures this out then Dean's story is shit. It's all shit anyway but then what does he tell Sam about what really happened? _‘Nothing happened!’_

Sam's theory, that it's not really aliens even though people think it is really doesn’t make sense but then Sam points the lap top and there's; “Smurfs.”

“Fairies.” Sam corrects and Dean shakes his head.

“Fairies? Come on!” Because right now Dean is trying hard not to let Sam see how close to the truth he's come. They were faeries. And Auŕeņ…

“Dean, there’s a straight line between ET’s and fairies…”

Dean stops rubbing his hands on his jeans and protests Sam's theory.

“You’re the one who pizza-rolled Tinkerbell. I’m just doing the math. But this is good. This is a lead.” Sam nods, looks pleased.

“A lead where?” Are these leads going to lead them to Auŕeņ? He's of two minds on this; finding her again. Dean definitely wants to find Auŕeņ. He wants her…

She's died because of them. She didn’t make it the year and a day. She failed to save Sam.

**A**

They have tea in Marion’s trailer. The teeny bitty cups are difficult to manage and uncomfortable for the Winchesters but they sit there asking questions of the crazy brown acid taking lady who loves anything fae.

She's giving them the names, a whole list of them really but Dean spots his tiny naked bitch right away and points to the figurine. Marion seems overjoyed.

“Anyway, I, uh, I get that tinkerbells are fairies, but what about the tiny Santa Claus and the troll and the—.”

“That’s a garden gnome, and that’s a large goblin, and—.”

He doesn’t really care and she's going off at the mouth yet again.

“But they’re all fairies?”

Marion assures they are but what they focus on is the fact they're from another ‘realm’.

“So it’s like another dimension?” trust souless Sam to get that out of everything they’ve learned so far. Dean just wants to know why they’re taking people. The problem is, Marion doesn’t really know- but she does give them something.

“We know they only take firstborn sons, just like Rumplestiltskin did. Personally, I think they’re taken to Avalon to service Oberon, the King of the Faery.”

Dean bites his tongue but he knows what's coming as soon as Sam turns to him and curses Marion for over sharing.

“Dean? Did you service Oberon, King of the Fairies?”

Dean is uncomfortable because he was definitely in the Faery court and the more he thinks about it the less he can pretend it never happened and it was that big white faery dude that sent him back after Auŕeņ somehow magiked his colt to him but then she looked sorta surprised-like she recognized him right at the end…?

“Marion. Um. Let’s say fairies are real, okay? What can we do about them?” Because he's got a score to settle and a little faery to find. Not to mention the faeries don’t seem to mind messing with him. What the hell did the little sprite come at him for anyway? He wasn’t doing anything to her…

But this ‘bowl of cream’ shit… he doesn’t want to win their favor. What Dean wants is to get his hands on one of those fae because a bowl of cream wasn’t going to bring him Auŕeņ.

“Ohhh. All Faery hate iron, and the dark Faery burn when touched with silver. What else. Oh! You can spill sugar or salt in front of them. No matter how powerful, the Faery must stoop to count each grain.”

Dean remembers Auŕeņ telling him that the first night in the junk yard. Even though she wasn’t full fae, iron could still hurt her.

“Well, alrighty. That’s—Wow! A lot to absorb. Thank you.” Dean stops his hand from rubbing at his jaw where the fae dude punched him. But that had been iron not silver so did that mean Auŕeņ was part of the light faery? And did that mean the dark fae were the good guys and … what, Auŕeņ was hanging with the bad faeries?

**A**

Sam and Dean are walking outside. She sees them from her perch in the tree across the lot and Dean’s patting himself. His voice carries over to her.

“God, is it on me? I feel like I’ve got the crazy on me.” He saw her-Auŕeņ- and she was real. She didn’t remember him at all but it was definitely her in all her faery glory and man was she ever beautiful…

“No. You did sit in some glitter, though.” Sam points out.

“Makes me want to believe in UFO’s again.” UFO’s would be easier. UFO’s meant that he hadn’t seen Auŕeņ, that she wasn’t really alive and it was all in his head like Dean’s been trying to convince himself.

Auŕeņ follows behind them unable to hear anymore of their conversation but soon they stop and watch Mr. Brennan the watchmaker. She wonders if they’ll interfere because it looks that way and humans are curious creatures anyway.

“Curiosity.” Auŕeņ starts to question if maybe Dean isn't right about her.

They separate and Auŕeņ follows Dean. She watches him break into the shop and quietly flits in behind him but has to back out quickly when he exits.

Dean calls Sam and he's wondering if maybe there's a deal going on. He’ll let Sam confirm that because he thinks he's just seen a glimmer of gold and gossamer wings.

He stuffs his cell phone in his pocket and hurries off but he can't see her on the street. Dean walks along the sidewalk and he sees the Redcap from the diner standing across the street, staring at him again. That’s not the faery he was looking for so Dean sneaks away.

Auŕeņ hides in the darkened doorway in the alley across from them. She has a good view of both, Dean and the RedCap – he’d go back and tell _him_ where she was and Auŕeņ doesn’t want to go back. Not yet.

She follows the RedCap, Dean still trying to avoid him.

By the time Auŕeņ catches up to Dean, he's rolling on the ground with someone else. He ducks into an alley and the Redcap follows.hes tenacious, angry and looking for blood. Auŕeņ hopes Dean isn't hurt…

Dean turns a corner and flattens himself against a wall looking back but all he can see is a shadow. He takes a breath and jumps out and tackles a little person.

“Wha---? Help! Help!”

“Little fairy! What do you want, you fairy? Huh? Huh? Fairy!!” Dean yells unaware of the people just a few steps away.

“Daddy!!”

“Oh God no.” Dean realizes too late his mistake. “Haha! I’m just kidding!”  

Auŕeņ covers her mouth and stifles her giggles.

Sam comes down the street as Dean is cuffed. There’s a small crowd of onlookers as Dean is hauled around to the cruiser.

“Dean!! Hey dude! What happened?”

“Sam…. Hey!”  He’s thrown into the back seat of the police car and the door is slammed shut.

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Fight the fairies. You fight those fairies. FIGHT THE FAIRIES!!” Dean yells as the cruiser drives away.

Auŕeņ laughs out loud and covers her mouth, wide eyed, searching for the RedCap.

**A**

Dean sits in jail. The sheriff is giving him ‘the grilling’ but it's just a variation of the same one in every other town they’ve been in.

“I’m just trying to understand exactly what kind of hate crime this even was.” And he looks all kinds of confused.

“It wasn’t a hate crime.” Dean assures but he can't really figure out how to talk himself out of this one.

“I mean, if this gentleman were a full-sized homosexual, would that be okay with you?”

Dean thinks Auŕeņ would’ve laughed at that, the fae-witch, not the fae…

“I don’t hate any size person, or any size… gay… guy.” It's just a little uncomfortable and Dean shifts in his chair.

“He’s not gay as it happens. But! He is the district attorney for Tipton County. Runs a tight ship, tell you what.”

Which translates into Dean is screwed. Somehow, that knowledge doesn’t stop him from putting his foot in his mouth. “I’d say he’s done so well for himself, considering his…considering these tough economic times.”

“Son,” the sheriff shakes his head. “You are all kinds of messed up.”

Well, Dean already knows that. He sits and just closes his eyes as the jail doors clink shut. “Getting out of this one is going to be a bitch.” Too bad he didn’t get a chance to snag some keys.

“Dean.”

He sits up, green eyes finding her right away. He wants to get up and grab her but she's not supposed to be real. So they're both staring at each other, not speaking.

**A**

Sam found the leprechaun. It's too bad Mr. Brennan died trying to fix his mistake but then again what does Sam care anyway? He didn’t know the guy and it seems only fair since Brennan is the one who started this mess. All those missing people… yeah, they aren't coming back from Avalon.

“Sorry about the mess, but your friend here went back on his deal.” The leprechaun eyes the corpse, not that Sam gives a shit.

“Well, you weren’t very clear with him on the terms.” And deals are always going south no matter how it looks as though it's all good on the surface.

“I told him there was a price. Once we come, we come to stay.”

That sounds ominous. The souled Sam would be properly frightened by such a statement even though he wouldn’t show it.

“So you take firstborns and then what? You just sit back and watch while they cover the abductions for you with all that crazy UFO crap? Which you help encourage, naturally. Nice con. But, your cover’s blown now, *Wayne.*” Sam is thinking ahead, stalling until he's figured out what the plan is.

“Blown? To whom? Brennan’s dead. Your brother? Heh. He’s marked. Been to the ranch. He’s ours now.”

Sam's brow furrows. There's something else *Wayne* is inferring. So what did Dean really see and didn’t tell Sam about?

He boasts good reflexes, which is true now that he's got no soul and a concise to hinder him with ‘what if’ or guilty scenarios of how unnecessary it was to cause pain.

“You’re not like the rest of them, are you?”

“Nope.” Sam is glad someone has noticed it sooner rather than later, but then he doesn’t care if the leprechaun knows.

“I could see that right off. You’re missing a certain piece, right in the center, ain’t you?” this is where it works in the leprechauns favor.

“Says who?”

“We fairy folk? We’re all about energy. And the human soul gives off a certain perfume. Your soul is far away. But not completely out of reach.”

“Is that so?” Sam goes along with it. He's getting useful information from the leprechaun and it's not like he needs to know Sam doesn’t care if he gets his soul back or not.

“Sam, I can get it back for you. For a price.”

Sam almost smiles. Another deal. “That’s adorable. It’s locked in a box with the devil.”

“Your devil. Not mine.”

Which brings up an interesting question. “There’s no freaking way a leprechaun can do what angels cannot.”

Not Castiel…

“Angels.” He laughs. “Please. I’m talking about real magic, sonny. From my side of the fence. Got a way of getting in back doors.” *Wayne* thinks he's got Sam.

“So you’re my blue fairy? You can make me a real boy again?” Sam thinks it’s too bad Auŕeņ died 3 years too early to help Dean out with this one.

“When you wish upon a star….”

“Yeah. I got a wish.” Sam raises his weapon and shoots. He's got iron rounds but even so he's a tough bastard, *Wayne*, the leprechaun. They end up going at it with their fists and Ruby’s knife has no effect on the faery.

*Wayne* smirks, gleeful. “Come on, lad. You’ve already taken your best shot.”

Sam nods, his breaths labored. “You’re right. I’m done shootin’. So do me a favor. And count this.” Sam empties the vial of salt on the floor enjoying the shocked expression. “Why didn’t I do that earlier?” he wonders with a shake of his head. Sam grabs the book and starts reading.

**A**

Auŕeņ's eyes dart around the room, spinning blue to gray to blue. She hates the feel of the jail, the iron in the cement, the table, the bars…the chair he's sitting in.

“Auŕeņ…”

Her attention shifts to him again. His voice so soft and he leans towards her, both hands on the table but that’s as close as he gets. She's barefoot and shifting from side to side. The gossamer blue dress of patches once more in place and her wings…they shimmer in and out, folding into her back and out with her discomfort.

“Why do I feel this?” because she feels more herself with him than she does alone. It ‘hurts’ when he's away, when she can't be near him and it frightens her. Because she thinks of him too much and so she looks for him…

Dean draws in a soft breath; he doesn’t understand what she means… he'd rather not because 3 years isn't enough to erase the memory of her death and what he felt in those moments.

“Why?”

Dean is hesitant to put a name to this, to what she feels. She's got no memory of him, of saying…the three words that can send Dean running the other way and yet he feels it just as much as Auŕeņ. He felt it before, when she was bound to them and died for Sam.

_‘Because of Sam.’_

Because Sam followed Ruby instead of listening to Dean and Castiel and everyone telling him she wasn’t any good. He couldn’t listen to Auŕeņ and it was Auŕeņ who paid…

Dean feels the heavy hand on his shoulder and marks the frightened expression on her face.

The Redcap laughs, he pats Dean on the back and puts his fist in his face. Dean topples over, chair and all, the loud clattering and Auŕeņ…

“Stop! Stop!!”

Dean feels the kick in his ribs even as he turns into it trying to get up but then there's silence.

Auŕeņ is gone.

Dean stands, the chair scrapes loudly as he uses it to get up. Dean turns around, he looks everywhere but she's gone.

“Auŕeņ…?”

**A**

Sam and Dean stand in front of the Impala. Sam refuses the beer his brother offers and Dean toasts to the ‘tiniest DA’ glad the charges were dropped. Sam doesn’t have long to wait for Dean to ask him.

“You think Lucky Charms really could have, you know, soul to sender?” Dean thinks it certainly would make things simpler, having his brother back… Now he wants to find Auŕeņ even more than he did before. He’ll ask Auŕeņ if she can get Sam's soul for them… if he can find her first.

What surprises Dean is that Sam turned it down and that ‘When’s a deal ever been a good thing?’ while it makes sense just doesn’t feel right.

“I’m just trying to figure out how it works in there.” Because when has a Winchester ever turned down a deal that seemed to help them or a loved one? Was Sam trying to put a wrench in the soul rescue plan?

“Dude, I do still have all my brain cells. If anything, my brain works better now.” With no need to sleep, no conscience to fuck with him… he's better than ever. Maybe everyone should loose their soul. That’s an idea.

“Just making sure that’s where your head’s at. That you’re not having second thoughts about getting your soul back.” Dean eyes him. “You’re not, are you?”

“No.” It's an easy lie. Sam doesn’t have a soul therefore no conscience to fuck with him for lying to his big brother who’s only ever tried to protect Sam.

Off in the field, far enough neither can see her, Auŕeņ watches the mortals get back into the metal beast and leave.

“Dean.”

He has a name.

He knows things about her.

**A**

Dean checks it yet again, the pan of cream he's been hiding out on the porch the past week. He's been searching- reading up on faeries in secret, away from Sam and Bobby because he doesn’t need their teasing or the questions he's not ready to answer. And now, with Death asking him … he can't put all his eggs in one basket -.

“You're diligent.”

Dean straightens abruptly, the cream sloshing out of the little pan and he's embarrassed to be caught with it.

Auŕeņ eyes it curiously, perched on the railing.

“I… the books say…” he tosses the cream over the porch and drops the little pan in the bush. She's not a dog or cat- rather, that he can lure with a pan of cream….

“Why are you trying to tempt me here?” Auŕeņ's voice is soft and the lilting tone is like music.

“I…” Dean hesitates. What does he want? Help in getting Sam's soul back from Lucifer’s cage. Auŕeņ alive and riding with them- yeah, that’s an impossible dream. “My brother. Sam. His soul is in hell.”

Auŕeņ jumps off her perch, her wings a shimmering blur at her back that disappears just as quickly and she's standing beside him.

“Uh. Can you…help…”

“You want me to go into the Devil’s cage and retrieve your brother’s soul.”

Simple. Straight forward. To the point. Dean feels like a heel for asking it of her when they’ve killed her.

“Can you?”

Auŕeņ wonders why this doesn’t bother her. The mortal asking for her help instead of explaining the fables he spun while in Avalon.

“Maybe.”

“Auŕeņ.” He’s stern without meaning to but this is Sam-his soul- at stake.

She's quick, and he's surprised but quickly wraps his arms around her waist and kisses her.

Bobby clears his throat rather loudly and Dean jerks around- she's gone, again.

“Uh.” Dean really has no good excuse for how it looked.

“I don’t want to know.” Bobby mutters and turns back into the house. The door closes and Auŕeņ's giggles have Dean searching her out again.

“Auŕeņ!” Dean hiss-whispers and jumps around when he feels her hand at his back side.

She has his wallet, a curious expression on her face and tentatively opens it up. Dean still carries her picture, hidden behind his fake credit cards. She touches the edge, hesitating and her eyes- the blue drowns out the gray.

Dean watches her slowly tug the picture out, green eyes locked on her face, watching her expression intently. But she gives nothing away.

Auŕeņ is looking at herself, a different version of herself, in Dean's arms. She taps the picture but it doesn’t affect how they move or Dean’s scowl or her own smile.

“I'm happy.”

She seems confused but Dean nods.

“You were.”

She takes a step towards him, the picture raised. “What is this?”

“A picture, uh, one of those magiked ones.” Dean fumbles the explanation. “It's from the wizarding world, when you were a witch.”

Auŕeņ doesn’t believe him. “Witch.” She can't remember anything other than the _leos_.

“Look,” Dean is cautious as he moves towards her. “I know you can't remember…being a witch. I don’t know- I have no idea how to- remind you, of that. Of who you were…” he takes her face in his hands, green eyes searching out hers and she feels so _real_. “This, what you're feeling…”

The door screeches; “Who are you talking to?”

Dean moves Auŕeņ behind him and Sam is frowning, peeking around Dean but he can't see her.

“What-no one. What-did you need something?” Dean fidgets. Auŕeņ steps around him and Dean stops, his hand reaching to his head instead of for her.

She's studying him. Sam.

“Dude, are you ok?”

“Yeah, great.” Dean gives Sam the thumbs up but he certainly doesn’t feel it what with Auŕeņ getting up so close to Sam his brother could touch her… “Uh, let’s go inside.” He waves Sam towards the door and Auŕeņ follows Sam who turns around, looking back and catching Dean making a grab for Auŕeņ whom he can't see.

Dean smiles at Sam.

**A**

Auŕeņ perches on the couch, her eyes scanning the entire room. There's something about the place that feels familiar.

Dean sits, his arm draped over her legs where she's sitting on the couch arm.

“Have I been here?” she glances at him then at Bobby who walks in with a book in his hand and a piece of smoky glass.

“I've searched all the books the girl left me.” Bobby grumbles and shuts the book in his hands. “Even read some I dug up.”

Dean glances up at Auŕeņ, his hand grasping her knee to keep her from getting up and doesn’t answer her question.

“There's nothing.” Bobby scowls.

“What girl?” Auŕeņ taps Dean's arm when he doesn’t answer her right away. “What girl?”

“So. No leads.” Dean winces as Auŕeņ smacks his shoulder and Bobby looks at him funny.

“What's wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” Dean assures and stands up. Auŕeņ is knocked into his empty seat and she yelps in surprise.

“You're fidgeting.” Bobby points out and then Dean stumbles forward.

He glares over his shoulder at Auŕeņ who’s not at all sorry she kicked him.

“Got a kink in my leg.” Dean mutters and she's gone again. No answer, no idea if she's going to help them with Sam's soul.

**A**

Auŕeņ doesn’t like it. This place. It's … awful. There's so much pain… it's overwhelming, their voices drowning her own and all she wants is to leave.

But Dean asked.

She finds the cage. It's there; a massive block that shifts and changes to contain them and the pain…it comes from inside.

There's two of them- or four, if she counts the angels…

Sam… his soul is in pain, flaring as bright as the sun. The other one too, it's not as damaged as Sam but the focus shifts from one to the other depending on the angel who has the upper hand.

Right now, it's Sam taking the brunt of both angels and their anger.

“Stop!”

Auŕeņ stops just a few feet away from the cage surprised by her own forward dash in defense of the human’s soul. She's the focus of their wrath now.

A faery among angels and demons.

Auŕeņ’s eyes dart around but they don’t bother to hide…

“Come to open our cage?” Lucifer smiles.

“They forgot his soul.” Michael points out, intently watching her.

**A**

Sam wakes up. He doesn’t remember anything of the past year and the cases he's worked with Dean since they joined up again. It's weird. Walking around with a huge gap in memories that neither Bobby or Dean will tell him about. He gets they're afraid the wall Death put in his head will fall apart and the damage inflicted in the cage will kill him… Sam just wishes there had been another option. He feels as though there's something he should make up for, like he's done awful things without his soul.

“Dean?”

Dean jerks around. “Hey,” he fidgets, one hand surreptitiously wiping across his mouth. “How do you feel?”

“Uh, fine.” Sam replies. He wonders if Dean is feeling alright but knows better than to ask. “Bobby has a case…”

Dean shoves Sam in front and they head back to the house. He can hear Auŕeņ call after him, her voice a soft whisper but he can't answer her with Sam present. Dean can't risk that wall cracking no matter that she tried to get Sam's soul.

“Dude,” Sam huffs as the door shut behind them. “You've been acting weird.”

“No I haven’t.”

Sam snorts at the quick denial. “Dean.”

“What. I'm not.” Dean protests. “You're the one with the friggin wall in his head. Shut up.” He walks past Sam to get the info on this new case from Bobby.

“I won’t be ignored.”

Dean tenses. His eyes dart from Auŕeņ to Bobby at his desk and back over his shoulder to where Sam finally comes into the living room.

“Do you hear me?”

Dean steps around her and trips. Bobby grumbles and Dean glares at Auŕeņ who’s standing by with her arms crossed and a smirk on her pretty pale-gold face.

“I can do much worse.”

“What?” Sam frowns, his eyes searching the room but there's nothing out of place.

“What?” Dean echoes and grabs the clipping on Bobby’s desk. “Focus, Sammy.”

“Dean!”

He jerks, green eyes looking around the room and pretending Auŕeņ didn’t just yell in his ear.

“Alright,” Bobby stands up. “What bug’s up your ass?”

Dean wants to tell him it's name is Auŕeņ but then he'd have some explaining to do about the UFO case that Sam can't remember and what if it cracks the wall in his head?

“I'm fine.” Dean growls.

“I’ll show myself-.”

“NO!” Dean turns to where Auŕeņ is threatening and she looks rather cute with her tiny hands fisted on her waist. It reminds him of the seal and Halloween and the frustrated little stomp she gave when he wouldn’t let her order them about.

“No what?” Sam carefully places his hand on Dean’s shoulder.

“Who are you talking to?” Bobby demands and he's already reaching for his weapons in the lower drawer of the desk.

“No one.” Dean assures but it's not so easy to pretend he didn’t just shout at Auŕeņ- “Where the hell-.” He clamps his mouth shut and looks around the living room because she's not where she was a moment ago. Bobby and Sam do as well and hearing them; Bobby curses under his breath and Sam whispers her name. “Son of a bitch.” Dean closes his eyes.

“You're alive.” Sam breathes and turns away from his brother to where Auŕeņ is perched on the back of the couch.

Bobby sucks in a sharp breath as she hops down and looks at all of them.

“How do you know me?”

Bobby and Sam turn to Dean who’s glaring at Auŕeņ.

“You knew… Dean, why didn’t you say anything?” Sam demands. He scowls at his brother and Auŕeņ is once again ignored.

“Tell you what?” Dean growls. “You got a wall in your head, Sam. Anything could put a major crack in it and then you die. Or…go psycho, whatever. No way I'm taking that risk.”

“You.” Auŕeņ sits on the edge of Bobby’s desk. Her eyes swirl though gray is dominant and he remembers what that means.

“Are you …” Bobby licks his lips and tries again. “You're fae.”

“Yes.”

“You died.”

Auŕeņ frowns. They all tell her the same thing but she doesn’t believe them. She can't. It’s not possible.

“Harry.” Sam approaches the desk. “Hermione and Ron, the others, do they know she's back?” he glances over his shoulder at Dean. “You didn’t tell them either?” he scowls at his brother.

“Who are they?”

Auŕeņ gets their full attention and the silence annoys her.

“Your friends.” Bobby grabs a little pouch from a different drawer of his desk and shakes out a handful in to his palm. He moves to the fireplace and drops it on the remaining embers and calls for them, any of them but it's Ron who answers.

“Reņņie!?” and it's obvious he can't believe it either. “Don’t go anywhere.”

“Like where?” Dean mutters. They don’t have long to wait and Auŕeņ stumbles back from the fireplace as the first wizard comes shooting through.

Bobby coughs while Sam helps Ron to his feet and then Harry, Hermione arrives last.

“Reņņie!!” Ron sweeps Auŕeņ into a hug she's not expecting. She disappears, leaving Ron hugging himself.

“Great!” Dean throws his arms up. “You scared her off.” He shakes his head and walks out to the front porch.

Ron and Hermione turn to Bobby while Harry starts after Dean.

“We just found out.” Sam starts.

“Right, well, we he haven’t told anyone else. Yet.” Hermione glances at Ron who shifts uncomfortably.

“Tonks didn’t take it too well. When…” he looks away from Sam. No need to tell them it was difficult to stop her from coming back here and taking her revenge on the Winchesters for getting Auŕeņ killed.

“I'm …” Sam just can't say ‘sorry’ enough but it seems that’s all he ever does. Apologize and yet the shit keeps piling up at his door.

“Alright.” Bobby calls them to attention. “ _Is_ it Auŕeņ? And how?”

Harry closes the door and the voices inside are silent now.

Dean is gripping the railing, green eyes scanning the front yard as far as he can see.

“She doesn’t remember any of it.”

Harry stands beside Dean, both looking at the yard.

Finally, Dean tells Harry about the UFO case and how he was ‘abducted’ by aliens. “Only they weren’t.”

“You were in the _leos_?” Harry is surprised but it's not unheard of.

Dean nods, he was put in a cage and then Auŕeņ got him out and … Dean shifts his stance. He doesn’t have to tell the wizards about _what_ he and Auŕeņ were doing.

“They sent you back.” Harry doesn’t have to ask why. “So, iron bullets?”

Dean snorts a short laugh. “She's got no memory of your war or being at that school or what she did there- nothing…” but then he thinks maybe she's remembering other things.

“And you?” Harry turns to Dean. “Does Auŕeņ remember you?”

Dean shrugs. He wants her to but maybe that’s why he can't be sure _she_ really does.

The door opens behind them and Hermione steps out. “I'm going to ask Hĕlìo, maybe he’ll know some fae that can tell us what's happened to Auŕeņ.”

“Good.” Harry nods.

“So…” Dean looks from Harry to Hermione and back. “You guys are sure. … It's her- it's Auŕeņ?”

Harry leaves it to Hermione and she nods. “It is Auŕeņ.”

Dean's shoulders sag in relief. He hadn’t wanted to believe it was really Auŕeņ though he hadn’t questioned having found her. And while no one else had been able to see her it had been easy for Dean to pretend it was a friggin awesome dream. He had his girl……

**A**

Auŕeņ is sitting on the front steps waiting for Dean. She's been around the past few days, watching Bobby move about his home, curious as to what she feels and the items that draw her attention. She's gone into the junk yard but only once because it hurt- all that iron… it's a slow poison being around it so much but she’s waiting for him.

Dean.

Bobby spoke to them a while ago. He's expecting them to show up. Auŕeņ hopes it's soon.

The sun is setting when she hears it, the loud roar of their metal beast and that sound also brings up curious feelings.

Dean sees her right away. The Impala’s headlights light her up so she looks like some mirage and he's quick to get out.

“You're in a hurry.” Sam notes as he follows after his brother.

“Yeah, I’ll meet you inside.” He ignores Sam's curious expression and stops in front of the steps. She doesn’t say a word, nor does she move and the front door shuts behind Sam. “You left.”

“He…” Auŕeņ trails off. She hadn’t liked the feelings; sadness, happiness, confusion because of her feelings and theirs; shock, surprise, disbelief, relief, happiness. “How do any of you know me? My name…”

Dean sighs. He sits beside her, his arm slipping around her waist to draw her closer and she leans into him without hesitation. Her head resting on his shoulder and he can smell her- the fresh scent of forest, something lightly sweet and the flowers…

“Come inside.” Dean tilts her face up to his, the rings in her eyes blending to blue with only sparks of gray. Her lips are soft, and part for him…

**A**

Hermione doesn’t say anything when Auŕeņ and Dean walk into the living room. She doesn’t take her eyes off her old friend. She remembers…before. When Dean told them she was dead. He could barely look them in the eyes and his voice was hoarse, green eyes much too bright to be anything other than unshed tears. … they couldn’t have doubted his feelings for their fae-witch….

Auŕeņ had failed. She died for Sam. Or maybe _because of,_ depending on the person.

Harry had suffered her loss, mostly in silence and focusing solely on his work; besides Sirius… Auŕeņ was all the family he had left. The Dursley’s had been nothing more than people to him. Auŕeņ was the only cousin that mattered to Harry.

At Hogwarts she was a year ahead of them and the first one to greet a surprised Harry with a smothering hug packaged with a ‘brief’ run down of the who’s-who the trio hadn’t expected. And unlike the books, most holidays had been spent with Sirius and Auŕeņ in the Black home where Harry had finally felt he belonged. They were a family.

“You're unhappy….” Auŕeņ’s eyes swirl blue-gray, the rings blending into each other. Dean places his hand on her back, his fingers lightly caressing the pattern that flows over her skin knowing that will calm his faery.

“Not unhappy, Auŕeņ.” Hermione stands from the couch, a soft smile on her face. “We’re still…surprised. We thought you were dead.” She doesn’t miss the frown or the hesitant step backwards that puts her closer to Dean. “I brought something for you. Maybe…well.”

Auŕeņ’s eyes follow Hermione to Bobby's desk where Sam has placed the Portable Pensieve. It gets her attention but she doesn’t move any closer.

“It's so you can see …” Sam trails off, hazel eyes  glancing around the room, uncomfortable because he remembers Auŕeņ trying to save him, what he did…and again, sorry just isn't good enough.

“All our memories of you; Harry, Ron, Lupin, Ginny and all the Weasly’s …  Cedric and Wood-everyone, Auŕeņ. Lupin found … we’ve added Sirius’ as well. We’ve all put our memories of you in there. For you to see and maybe…maybe you’ll remember something from before…” even Tonks though she was unaware… no one wanted to tell her of Auŕeņ.

“Why?”

All four shift around, eyes skipping from each other not sure of how to answer her question.

“Why does it matter?” Auŕeņ turns to Dean, she can feel his confusion, uncertainty and just a bit disappointed… doesn’t Auŕeņ want to remember – the before? Dean questions if he'd think any differently if it was him unable to remember all the krap that’s happened in the past 7years. It's just one krap deal after another and each one has been worse than the one before… No. Maybe he wouldn’t want to know any of it and really what has changed other than Auŕeņ being a full on faery instead of a witch? Her feelings…

Auŕeņ turns her back on the others, eyes fully blue and her small hands grasp at his jacket. “I'm yours.”

The room is silent. Her voice a clear whisper they can still hear. Sam breathes in a quiet sigh, shoulders sagging just a bit. Whatever had been between his brother and Auŕeņ before clearly hasn’t changed. If anything, her death has only intensified Dean's feelings for her now that she's ‘alive’.

Hermione's smile brightens; this? That’s the impulsive, young witch she remembers no matter the obvious differences because Hermione is still trying to process _this_ ; the pale gold shimmer of her skin, the darker violet and teal tattoo all over her back she's surprised to see _shift_ and then flutter open before folding into Auŕeņ's back once again. She is certainly mesmerizing in this form. The little faery would certainly have been capable of entrancing both Cedric and Viktor…

Bobby clears his throat. “If you two are done ‘basking’…” he drawls gruffly, Auŕeņ feels his discomfort and her lips flicker with a hidden smile. Dean feels it, that ache in his chest because it's _exactly_ Auŕeņ even if she can't remember any of them.

“Will you look?” Dean feels her hands clench into his jacket, her body tense and her eyes get a little more gray.

“For you.” Auŕeņ whisper even softer than she had before.

Sam inst sure but he’ll ask anyway. “Can I... I mean, is it alright if … I add mine?”

“No, Sam.”

“What. Why not?” Sam demands with an exasperated breath.

Hermione is quiet a moment, questions whether it would make a difference but there's no harm in adding other memories to the pensieve. “Of course.” She turns to Auŕeņ, a silent question as to whether she would prefer he didn’t and Dean speaks up.

“Is it safe?” his hand takes Auŕeņ’s and he draws her with him towards the pensieve. He worries about Sam’s wall, if the mix of magic is going to damage it.

“Perfectly.” Hermione draws her wand and Sam just looks confused while Dean protests again.

“Sam.”

“She said it’s safe, Dean. Stop worrying about it.” Sam frowns, annoyed by his brother and the constant nagging and the restrictions that make having his soul again a pain in the ass.

“You're not…messing with your head!” Dean glares with a frustrated wave of his hand.

“Is there a problem with … um, Sam's head?” Hermione blushes slightly, her eyes flicking between the brothers. Silence greets her question and Dean's hold on Auŕeņ becomes slightly possessive.

“There's a wall in my head.”

“Sam!” Dean glares.

“What! I'm tired of you two walking around on egg shells because you don’t want to say or do anything that will damage it.” Sam's annoyance is palpable and he doesn’t bother to hide it anymore. He turns to Hermione and explains. “Death returned my soul. He put this wall in my head to keep me sane because it was damaged. They're worried this will bring it down.”

“Oh.” Hermione isn’t sure what to say. This isn’t the sort of thing she would hear talked about so nonchalant by other muggles. “Death…well.” She draws in a breath and smiles at them. “You're not like other muggles.”

Bobby snorts. “You only just noticed, did ya?”

“Ha ha, now that the amusing comments are over with,” Dean snaps, green eyes on Sam. “You are not messing with your head.”

“Oh-but its alright for you and Bobby?” Sam demands while Hermione can't help but notice how much like Fred and George they remind her of just then. Well, without the wands and the pranks.

“We’re not the ones with magic walls keeping us sane and breathing!” Dean retorts.

“Boys!” Bobby yells and gets two sets of glaring eyes and a shouted “What!” He eyes them both with a scowl and Dean shifts uncomfortably, an apology right on the tip of his tongue that Sam utters looking sorry to have yelled at the old man.

“Did we miss it?” Ron pops up beside Sam surprising him into an embarrassing yelp. “Sorry about that. Hello.”

Bobby watches the older man standing still just behind Sam where Ron has apparated. His clothes are gray, a bit worn out but clean and pressed. Bobby’s trying to figure out _who_ he is when he slowly moves towards the group surrounding his desk. Bobby notices Auŕeņ’s unflinching gaze as he does so and hopes she's remembering something.

“Auŕeņ.” Lupin still can't believe what he's seeing even though he's been told. “You're beautiful.” He smiles softly, happy she really is alive and sad because no matter what, Auŕeņ is lost to them. She belongs in the _Leos_ , with her kind…

“Who..?” Dean's arm slips around Auŕeņ’s waist clearly announcing his claim on her.

“Lupin.” He smiles and extends a distracted hand towards Dean while his eyes return to Auŕeņ. “Remus Lupin.”

“The werewolf?” Sam exclaims and quickly turns bright red though he still looks in awe.

“You don’t know me…do you?” Lupin ignores Sam and the other muggles, his eyes on Auŕeņ remembering the young girl that arrived on Sirius’ door…

“She hasn’t looked in the pensieve.” Hermione answers when Auŕeņ doesn’t. “They'd like to add some memories.”

“The muggles?” Ron looks around and the tension is apparent. “Well it won’t hurt. It’s perfectly safe.”

“See?” Sam tells Dean.

“What do we do?” Dean growls, green eyes on his brother who doesn’t seem to care if the wall comes down after all the trouble they’ve gone to.

Hermione approaches Sam, her wand raised. “Think of specific memories. The ones you want to share with Auŕeņ.”

“What you're doing, where you are, that sort of thing.” Ron adds helpfully. He looks at Bobby and draws his wand with a questioning look. Bobby draws a fortifying breath and nods.

Dean watches as thin threads of milky white stick to the tips of the wands and float out of his brother and Bobby’s heads. It makes his stomach clench and then Lupin had his wand, waiting patiently for Dean to give him the go ahead.

Auŕeņ’s eyes swirl  blue to gray, his concern for Sam and what he's about to do washing off in waves, she takes his hand in both of hers wanting to tell him they don’t have to do anything. She’d rather they didn’t.

“Alright.” Dean squeezes his eyes shut, his jaw clenched and he's thinking only of Auŕeņ.

“Done.” Lupin quietly assures a moment later.

Dean cracks an eye open; everything looks the same, everyone’s still in one piece… “Huh.” He can't believe it was painless and fast.

“Auŕeņ,” Lupin rests a gentle hand on her shoulder. He offers her an encouraging smile and nods to the pensieve. “Look in.”

Auŕeņ tightens her hand on Dean’s and he gives hers a firm squeeze. They both step in front of the basin and look into the shimmering liquid.

**A**

_It’s cold and windy. The house looms large and too narrow to accommodate a family. The gate screeches eerily as she pushes it open. She drags the trunk off the street and lets it fall in the small garden. She leaves it there and walks up the path to the front door. She can barely reach the knocker…_

_Sirius opens the door. He towers over her, dressed in his black coat, dark maroon shirt and black trousers. His hair blows into his eyes, long and unruly. They stare at each other for a moment and then Sirius kneels down and gently enfolds the girl into his arms._

_Dean watches from the sidewalk. Auŕeņ's hand grips his tightly but she doesn’t move. The house and everything around them wavers, like a ripple in water._

“Auŕeņ!” _doors slam and he's yelling._ “Auŕeņ!!”

_There's no answer and Sirius sits on the top step, his head hanging._

“I know.” _He doesn’t say anything for a while; he sighs heavily and wipes a heavy hand over his face._ “I miss them too.”

_Sirius hears the door open, its hinges squeaking and then Auŕeņ sits beside him never making a sound._

“I'm sorry.” _Auŕeņ sits with her hands clasped, her face downcast. She doesn’t shy away from Sirius when he puts his arm over her shoulders and pulls her into his side._

“I know, Ŕen. I know.” _Sirius ignores the silent tears._ “Being angry does no good.”

“I am angry! I hate them!” _Auŕeņ sits up, her face turned towards him._

_Dean leans in just a little, he can't believe this is Auŕeņ as a kid and he hesitates to reach out._

“You lash out blindly.”

“I don-!!”

“Auŕeņ.” _Sirius is stern and she quiets immediately._ “Anger is good. It gives you strength. But…you can't be consumed by it.”

_Again, everything changes and this time they watch from afar as Sirius bombards a young Auŕeņ with spell after spell. Dean is amazed to see her fend them off- most anyway- and this is a raw glimpse of what he saw her do in the snowy clearing against the darkwizard._

_Another change and this time Dean watches as Auŕeņ sneaks up on a very young Hermione._

“You should relax.” _Auŕeņ giggles._ “I could help you with that.”

“Why?” _Hermione looks around suspiciously._

“Because you're Harry’s friend. And you covered for him about the troll thing. Now I'm your friend. You should have friends, Mione.” _Auŕeņ holds out her hand and after some hesitation Hermione takes it._

_Now they’re giggling. Dean looks around, Auŕeņ walks closer to the girls and kneels. Dean drops her hand and threads his fingers into her hair._

_Hermione and Auŕeņ giggle, both girls gossiping about boys…_

“You and Cedric Diggory.”

“He's not bad.” _Auŕeņ shrugs, her eyes sliding away, cheeks slightly rosy._

“Didn’t you say boys were a waste of time you couldn’t afford?” _Hermione teases. She notices Auŕeņ become serious, eyes swirling more gray than blue._

“I'm going to find him one day. The dark wizard… Sirius is helping me. I’ll be ready, Mione.”

_Dean doesn’t like the expression on her young face or the sound of her voice. Another ripple effect and they're both standing outside. It’s a courtyard and Auŕeņ runs down the steps to meet the boy standing in front of the fountain. Auŕeņ laughs and she's swept up and twirled._

_Dean looks on with a frown, the small hand in his tightens._

_Auŕeņ looks up in surprise and smiles, her arms reaching over their heads to catch the petals floating down like snowflakes._

“Do you like them?” _Cedric sets her down and watches her turn, catching as many as her hands can hold._

“It’s wonderful, Ced!”

_The water effect cuts in just as he's leaning in to kiss her and now Dean is watching Auŕeņ ask Cedric not to put his name in the goblet. She's disappointed when he does and the images change. They're under water. Dean panics sure he's going to drown but they're both fine and he notices the boy swimming towards them. Suddenly they're both watching as Cedric blasts the rope tethered to an unconscious Auŕeņ. Once freed, Cedric wraps his arm around her waist and swims off._

_The memories change quickly and they're standing in snow. Dean blows out a breath and it fogs up but he can't feel the cold. Beside him Auŕeņ watches intently as the open door spills out a dim light. They both hear the slight pop and find the displaced cloud of snow. In the dark of night, through swirling snowflakes, the dark cowled figure materializes._

_The light is blocked and another figure steps into the snowy night._

“You made it.” _Cedric holds out his hand._

“Wouldn’t miss this for anything.” _Auŕeņ hurries past him and up the stairs into the store._

_Dean and Auŕeņ find themselves inside and slowly follow after the trio._

“Longbottom is at the other end. Most everyone is through.”

“I've been looking forward to this.” _Auŕeņ replies pushing the hood of her coat off her head. It’s the same one she’d been wearing the year she spent with them and Dean looks to the little fae at his side hoping she remembers too._

“Auŕeņ… just be careful.”

“Worry about yourself, Cedric. I'm not dying tonight.” _Auŕeņ assures and heads into the dark tunnel with her wand raised, the tip glowing brightly._

_Dean looks around confused._

“Harry!”

_Dean turns around and watches a young Auŕeņ grasp a boy in her arms, giggling. She lets him go and introduces herself._

“I'm Auŕeņ Brontë. Your cousin!” _she beams at him then glances at the red headed boy beside him._ “Sort of cousins. Your Mum and Dad were friends of my uncle- he's dying to chat with you! Oh, you two better get to class. McGonagall doesn’t like tardiness. I’ll find you at dinner!”

_The boys watch slack jawed as Auŕeņ runs off in the opposite direction._

“Thought you didn’t have any wizard family.” _Ron mutters._

“I don’t-didn’t…” _Harry trails off confused._

_Dean is grinning. He looks at Auŕeņ who doesn’t seem to have found the memory amusing._

_The house is decorated for the holidays, streamers in bright reds and golds. The windows are fogged and the fireplace blazes invitingly, trimmed with three stockings and more wreaths. The tree in the corner draws his eyes and Dean recognizes some of the decorations._

_“Hey….those are yours.” He draws Auŕeņ towards the tree and points out the porcelain pegacorn, its mane streaming with an invisible wind. “It flies.” He shows her, just as she’d done that Christmas so long ago._

“Hurry up!”

_Auŕeņ comes running through the hall and jumps into the huge armchair. She's dressed in bright turquoise pajamas trimmed in white lace. Harry runs in and seeing Auŕeņ in the chair takes a seat on the couch._

“Watch this.” _Auŕeņ whispers and takes her wand out. Just as Sirius comes into the room Harry turns with half a warning as a shower of sparks bathes Sirius. Auŕeņ’s giggles are barely muffled with the blanket. Sirius stands for a moment. His hair-a white fluffy mass matches his marshmallow beard. The first step he takes makes a wet slopping sound and looking down finds that he's oozing a chocolate puddle. He picks at the bright pink fluff adorning what had once been his shirt and puts a bit in his mouth._

“Cotton candy.” _He smiles and Harry looks between them confused and a little nervous._ “Don’t worry, Harry. We won’t be ‘attacking’ you just yet. This is your first holiday with us, after all.” _Sirius smiles. He waves his wand returning his clothes back to normal._

_“Any of this coming back to you?” Dean smiles. He's finding this side of her entertaining. So long as he's not the one on the receiving end of her pranks, that is._

_“No.” Auŕeņ can tell he's disappointed._

_They're at a party now. Auŕeņ looks around and finds herself with another little girl. A red head…_

“Look, no one blames you- and if they do you tell me who they are.” _Auŕeņ orders with glare around the room._

“But it’s my fault. I hel-.”

“Ginny!” _Auŕeņ takes both her hands in hers and makes her look up._ “Not one of us could have done what you did. To fight back like that… you tried to make it right. That’s all that matters now. Besides, you couldn’t have known what it was. If anyone is to blame its Malfoy. He's as dark as any of them.”

“You think Draco…”

“Please, he's a Malfoy.” _Auŕeņ snorts brushing off any concern for her house mate._ “Ginny, learn the lesson from the Chamber… It wasn’t your fault.”

_This time it’s a soft glow and an upstairs hallway. Hermione is trying not to giggle and Mrs. Weasly catches them sneaking in. Auŕeņ just sighs._

“And you call yourself and Auror. Really.” _Mrs. Weasly snorts and takes Hermione in hand. Auŕeņ looks affronted and points out she wasn’t making any sound and blames being caught sneaking into the house on Hermione who absolutely can't hold her drink. …._

_….. It’s a wedding._

_Dean looks around, following Auŕeņ as she searches for herself._

_“There.” Dean points her to the front of the tent where they both see Auŕeņ waving her wand and the dozens of tiny flowers that sparkle above their heads. Dean reaches up to the floating flowers, recognizing them._

_“They're mine.” Auŕeņ notes._

_The memory ripples and they're standing in a long hallway. Auŕeņ steps forward but she can't stop the kids from crashing into each other._

“Oh, sorry….”

“No, it was me-.”

“I'm late-.”

“For the match-.”

_They stop apologizing to each other and laugh._

“You'd think we’d do better on our brooms.” _Auŕeņ giggles accepting the hand and getting to her feet._ “Here I've managed to knock down the captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team and no one saw.”

“Well, don’t look so disappointed.” _Wood laughs and tugs her along._ “I’ll deny this ever happened. Come on.”

_Dean watches as Auŕeņ glares at the board of moving chess pieces._

“I win!” _Ron hoots and laughs while Auŕeņ crosses her arms._

“I am not amused.”

 _Ron looks at her then bursts out laughing again as the board re-sets._ “I’ll teach you, Ŕeņņy. It’s easy.”

“Hmph.” _Auŕeņ doesn’t seem to believe him and eyes the pieces as though she's planning their demise._

_“You're a sore loser, Ŕen.” Dean notes with a smile at the fae._

_Ron is yelling. Dean grabs Auŕeņ and looks for the reason when he sees a young Ron running through a messy living room. The reason leaps through and tackles him to the floor._

_“Really?” Dean looks at his Auŕeņ but she doesn’t remember having frightened Ron._

“Help! Help me!”

“Oh hush, Ron.” _Auŕeņ giggles as she slips off his back and sits on the carpet. He rolls over and scrambles away from where he thinks the huge cat is waiting to devour him._ “Where is it? Where’d it go?!”

“Ron!” _Harry yells running as fast as he can to catch up._

“He's fine!” _Auŕeņ calls as Harry runs into the living room with his wand ready._ “Really, you two are so easy.”

“You?!!” _Ron scowls._

“Yes, me!” _Auŕeņ jumps to her feet and shows them again by landing on the couch and laying out, her tail twitching as she watches their shocked expressions._

“Bloody hell!  Harry-!”

“I didn’t know!” _Harry is quick to protest. Both boys plop into the couch opposite and watch as Auŕeņ changes back and clutches her stomach because she's laughing so hard._

_Dean just shakes his head.”Sam got off easy.” He laughs._

_Ron hurries across the courtyard to where Auŕeņ is trying to avoid the group of girls hurling insults at her._ “Oy! Leave off!”

 _Auŕeņ ducks her head away from Ron but he can see she's upset._ “Uh…”

“I'm fine. Really. Thanks, Ron.”

“It’s a load of crock. They’ll see.” _Ron assures when he's yanked around to face a furious Cedric._

“Viktor and I- we’re not enough?” _he demands._

“What?” _Auŕeņ's voice is a soft tremor in comparison._

_Dean's hand clenches into a fist. The urge to break that pretty face on the wizard is overwhelming seeing the hurt cross Auŕeņ's young face._

“It’s not like that, Ced.” _Ron intervenes but the memory changes and it’s easy to spot Auŕeņ where she's crying and Hermione tries to soothe her._

“You know I wouldn’t. You don’t believe it, Mione, do you?” _Auŕeņ turns bright teary eyes on Hermione._

“Of course not!” _Hermione assured vehemently._ “No one would- no one who knows you, Ŕeņņy. That Skeeter woman has some nerve!”

“But Ced-. I’d _never_ do that! I wouldn’t- I know better than that! I'm not like that…” _Auŕeņ cries, her head hidden in Hermione's shoulder…_

_…Dean recognizes the field._

“I think she knows how to throw a punch.” _Sam laughs watching as Dean flips him off. He grins and pulls out a fresh beer._

_Dean glances to where the other him is sort of sparring with Auŕeņ and winces remembering how she knocked him down._

_Sam laughs. Its strange- “Sam's memory… this is Sam's…” Dean looks around and Auŕeņ just watches him curiously. The world around them wavers and they’re in the hotel room. Auŕeņ steps away from him, her hand slipping from his and Dean watches her reach out._

_“The seal…” Dean mutters. He remembers this and then he catches sight of Sam and frowns. There's a decidedly goofy expression on his little brothers face. A little too adoring and following his line of sight sees his little brother is staring at Auŕeņ in her fae dress._

“Ooh! Too much, too much!”

_“She looks like me.” Auŕeņ turns to Dean, her expression confused and upset._

_“Because it is- was…”_

_They're in the Impala and Sam's watching Auŕeņ sleeping. She's curled up in the seat behind Dean…._

_…. Sam ’s standing among the rubble, his eyes bright with tears._

“I'm sorry…”

_Dean knows what it is, where they are and he can't look –_

_It’s a bright colored clearing, autumn._

“Come on.”

_They watch as Auŕeņ runs into the shack._

_Inside is no better than outside._

“It’s not haunted at all, Ollie.”

“It’s not safe either.” _He points out and takes her hand._

 _Auŕeņ stops trying to lead him further in and turns to him._ “Uncle Sirius told me about the shrieking shack. No one knows the truth.”

“Truth…”

“It was their place. The Marauders.” _Auŕeņ smiles._ “It can be our place… away from school…?”

 _Dean finds himself jealous because he_ knows _what she's implying and he can't help it._

_“The shrieking shack…”_

_“Do you… remember?” Dean gets a slight shake of her head, hesitant-_

_The blaring music startles them both. Dean knows this place- the club Auŕeņ apparated them to and it’s his memory. He draws Auŕeņ to where they're sitting and watch as Dean stands and takes her in his arms._

_Beside him Auŕeņ t                  entatively steps forward and the Auŕeņ being kissed slaps Dean before disapparating._

_“That hurt.” Dean mutters when the memory changes yet again and they're in the car. He smiles again watching the smug grin on his own face as the music blares. It’s funny now, watching as the radio magically shorts out …_

_… Its Bobby's living room and the table is cleared as Auŕeņ presents them each with their gifts. Bobby's smiling, he looks kinda sad which is weird but it’s a holiday they're celebrating and the boys are the closest to family he has. They walk outside to where Auŕeņ sets up Dean’s tent._

_“You're not happy.” Auŕeņ notes turning to him. Before Dean can answer they find themselves inside the tent, in Dean's room._

_“I was…and I was mad at you too.” Dean shrugs. “For Sam's duffel. You spelled it-.”_

_They looks around and Dean knows where they are. It’s the parking lot outside the hotel and suddenly they're inside watching as Sam tries to help a hurt Auŕeņ calling for Dean._

_Auŕeņ watches, stepping around the figures and startles seeing Tonks and Hĕlìo apparate. Auŕeņ stands face to face with Hĕlìo, studying his eyes._

_“Who is he?” she turns to Dean and the memory shifts again._

_“Cousin…your grandmothers side…” Dean frowns but he doesn’t recognize where they are. It’s a lake of some sort, the moon reflected in the water- there's a howl. From the bushes jumps out a werewolf, his face turned up to the moon. Two other figures jump out in quick succession moving to flank him. A large black dog and – “You.” Dean points to the jungle cat and turns to Auŕeņ at his side. “That’s you… who…?” Somehow they're taken along on the night’s run- she's playful though Dean doesn’t see the werewolf taking it that way when he tries to drag her down and fails. It writhes, howling, in pain until there's just a man curled up on the ground, breathing raggedly._

“Uncle Lupin?” _Auŕeņ smoothes a lock of damp hair out of his eyes while Sirius drapes a raggedy coat over him._ “See? I told you everything would be alright.” _She smiles and Lupin tiredly reaches his hand to hers._

“Good thing, too.” _Sirius breathes as he flops on the ground besides his friend._ “I'm getting too old to keep up.”

_There's laughter from the trio…_

_“He couldn’t help it.” Auŕeņ murmurs. There's a million different emotions coursing through her and its confusing- impossible! It feels so real, as if these memories where really hers-_

_…its dark except for the slow burn of light in the background. Sam is standing a few feet away, his expression shocked and grieving. Dean is kneeling in the ruble of stones and mortar holding Auŕeņ in his arms._

“You didn’t fail. You hear me? We’re both here-.”

_Auŕeņ moves closer, her feet taking her quickly to where she lays…_

“…I lost him…”

_Auŕeņ watches as she wipes the tear from his cheek._

“Be strong…”

 _Auŕeņ_ ’s _hand slides down Dean's chest, her palm resting against his heart._ “You're a lion… courage, _mo croí_.”

_Dean's hands clench, feeling helpless once again. He watches as he tries to speak and remembers how hard it was to try and get past the lump in his throat. He'd wanted to tell her everything he hadn't said to her yet but she’d slipped through his hands…_

 “…mo…leon…mo anam…” _Auŕeņ smiles trying to keep her eyes from closing and then Dean is bent over her whispering in her ear;_ “Don’t go. Don’t leave me alone. Don’t go. Don’t go. Don’t…”

_Auŕen draws in a harsh breath and steps away hurriedly. She bumps into Dean, his arms a reassuring comfort watching herself die…_

_“That isn’t me.” Auŕeņ protests watching as she pulls Dean closer and they kiss._

“Don’t leave…” _Dean whispers crushing her in his arms. Auŕeņ breathes her last sigh._

**A**

They're debating Auŕeņ's options when Hĕlìo arrives.

“Have I missed anything?”

“They aint back yet.” Booby gruffly replies as he takes his seat once again.

“Oh… maybe we should wait-.”

“Did you find anything?” Harry demands.

“Maybe we should wait for Auŕeņ…” Hermione trails off at the glared leveled at her. She sighs wondering if they all don’t see how selfish they're being, herself included.

“Right, well….” Hĕlìo paces closer to the fireplace and turns to the group. “It doesn’t happen.” His tone implies there's a negative outcome. “It’s rare that a fae _chooses_ to leave the _Leos_.” 

But their faery did. She chose to love a wizard…

“Because Auŕeņ is part fae there was a … uh, loophole, in the Unbreakable Vow.” 

“Loophole?” Sam doesn’t understand. As far as he knows there is no out from that aside from death.

“The fae claimed her and Auŕeņ was ‘born’ to them.” Hĕlìo frowns, still a little confused as to the how but certainly glad that it _is_. “She's exactly who she was meant to be- if there were no wizard and …well, you get the point.” He shrugs a little embarrassed.

“So…now what?” Sam is hoping there's a way to help Auŕeņ remember them all.

“She belongs to the fae.” Lupin answers quietly. “Her home is the _Leos_.”

“But-.”

“Harry,” Lupin walks towards him, a hand resting on his shoulder. “They won’t just hand her over simply because we miss her.”

“It’s not easy.” Hĕlìo agrees watching their expressions. He feels it too, sadness- grief- this will be the second time they’ve had to let her go. “Its best. For everyone. We can't force her to stay, it would be cruel.”

A flash of light goes unnoticed from the end of Bobby's desk.

“She deserves some peace.” Hermione adds, hoping that Harry will see it that way too.

“She won’t remember any of us…” Harry mutters. He's wished those memories away plenty himself but they're his…why should he force Auŕeņ to remember the loss of her parents, of Sirius, of the war and everything that’s come…?

“Wait!” Sam glares at the wizards. 

“It’s not our choice to make, Sam.” Bobby cuts in. 

“What choice?”

The group quiets immediately, eyes on Dean and Auŕeņ huddled in his arms.

“What choice?” he demands when he feels Auŕeņ's absence and he curses glaring at the group. “What the hell is going on?”

**A**

Sam and Dean haven’t spoken in the last ten minutes. Dean is still processing everything Sam told him; the ‘choices’ being lobbied about regarding Auŕeņ in her absence…

“You don’t have to give up that life, Dean.” Sam stares at the yard hoping his brother will take this chance at being happy while part of him doesn’t want Dean to leave. “So… maybe it wasn’t meant to be. With Lisa and Ben.” He winces seeing the pain flash through his brothers green eyes. “You obviously have strong feelings for Auŕeņ….You can have a life with her, Dean.”

 “It’s too dangerous.” Dean growls, he's angry and hurt. The ones they love always die… 

“Dean-.”

“She's died on me once already, Sam.” Dean snaps glaring at his brother. “I can't- can't do that. Not again.” He looks away and grips the rail harder, feeling the wood cut into this palms. 

“You're not giving her a fair chance.” Sam protests. Auŕeņ's death wasn’t her fault and they both know it.

“Oh, ok Sam. Do you know what she's giving up?” he turns to look at Sam, scowling. “Because no matter what fairy tales you're watching ‘love’ isn’t nearly a fair trade to what Auŕeņ is giving up. Her home, and yeah, those faery dudes are a-holes, but they're her family. Its where she belongs and I'm not about to ask her to give it all up when I have nothing to offer her in return.”

Sam can't believe what his brother is saying. “You're an idiot.”

Dean straightens up, jaw clenched.

“You're afraid.” Sam states completely sure. “Because you sure as hell _love her_.”

**A**

The screams haven’t gotten any better. She doesn’t want to be there, doesn’t want to see _them_ again but there's something else she's heard Dean worry over.

The boy.

**A**

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, this is the end. Now I'm just curious as to who’s interested in whether Auŕeņ stays with the faery or if she goes with the brothers? Anyone?  
> Then of course there's the question of what happens here at the end regarding The boy.  
> Ok, I'm done for now.


End file.
